Vitex plant named &#39;piivac-i&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Vitex  plant named ‘PIIVAC-I’, characterized by its compact, rounded to upright-spreading growth habit, dark green foliage, dark bluish purple flowers, and resistance to leaf spot.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Vitex agnus-castus L.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘PIIVAC-I’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Vitexplant, botanically known as Vitex agnus-castus L., commonly known aschastetree, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘PIIVAC-I’.‘PIIVAC-I’ is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use and foruse as a potted plant.

‘PIIVAC-I’ originated from an open-pollination of an unnamed andunpatented seedling selection of Vitex agnus-castus growing inWatkinsville, Ga. in 2009. The cultivar ‘PIIVAC-I’ originated and wasselected in a cultivated environment in Watkinsville, Ga. from theprogeny of this open-pollination by continued evaluation for growthhabit, foliage and flower characteristics.

Asexual reproduction of ‘PIIVAC-I’ by stem cuttings in Watkinsville, Ga.since 2011 has shown that all the unique features of this new Vitex, asherein described, are stable and reproduced true-to-type throughsuccessive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new cultivar ‘PIIVAC-I’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withchanges in light, temperature, soil and rainfall without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. In combination thesecharacteristics distinguish ‘PIIVAC-I’ from all other varieties incommerce known to the inventor. 1. Compact, rounded to upright-spreadinggrowth habit; 2. Dark green foliage; 3. Dark bluish purple flowers; 4.Resistance to leaf spot.

‘PIIVAC-I’ is distinguished from its female parent by its growth habitand flower color. ‘PIIVAC-I’ has an overall smaller, compact, rounded toupright-spreading growth habit and dark bluish purple flowers, whereasits female parent has an overall larger, rounded to upright-spreadinggrowth habit and lighter purple flowers.

‘PIIVAC-I’ can be compared to ‘Shoal Creek’ (unpatented), but differs inthe following characteristics. ‘PIIVAC-I’ has an overall smaller andmore compact growth habit than ‘Shoal Creek’. ‘PIIVAC-I’ has smallerfoliage than ‘Shoal Creek’. ‘PIIVAC-I’ has smaller inflorescences anddarker flower color than ‘Shoal Creek’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the flower and foliagecharacteristics and the overall appearance of ‘PIIVAC-I’, showing thecolors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colorreproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differslightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription which accurately describe the colors of the new Vitex.

FIG. 1 Illustrates a comparison of ‘PIIVAC-I’ (foreground) and ‘ShoalCreek’ (background) planted in the ground.

FIG. 2 Illustrates a close-up view of the inflorescences of ‘PIIVAC-I’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The plant used forthe description was approximately two years old and was grown in theground in a nursery in Watkinsville, Ga. Colors are described using TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.).

-   Botanical classification: Vitex agnus-castus L., cultivar    ‘PIIVAC-I’. Parentage: Female, or seed, parent: unnamed and    unpatented seedling selection. Male, or pollen parent: unknown    (open-pollinated). Propagation: terminal cuttings. Time to initiate    roots, summer: about 28 days at 32° C.-   Plant description: Deciduous flowering shrub; compact, rounded to    upright-spreading growth habit. Freely branching; pruning enhances    lateral branch development.    -   -   Root description.—numerous, fibrous and well-branched.        -   Plant size.—about 147 cm high from the soil level to the top            of the inflorescences and about 191 cm wide. First year            stems have a diameter of about 3.5 mm. Shape: quadrangular            when young, becoming rounded with age. Pubescence:            tomentulose. Second year and older stems have a diameter of            about 4 mm or more. Shape: round.        -   Trunk diameter.—5.7 cm at the soil line. Color: N200A.        -   Internode length.—about 5 cm.        -   Strength.—flexible when young, becoming stronger with age.        -   First year stem color (young).—177A on the upper surface,            144B on the lower surface. Color (mature): upper and lower            surfaces are N199A.        -   Second year and older stem color.—200D. Bark does not            exfoliate.-   Vegetative buds: Opposite arrangement, sessile, subglobose, 2 bud    scales with tomentulose pubescence. Color: 145C. Size: about 1.5 mm    in length and 1 mm in width.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—opposite, compound palmate, 5 to 7 leaflets.            Leaflet length: about 8.2 cm. Leaflet width: about 1.6 cm.            Shape: elliptic-ovate to lanceolate. Apex: acuminate. Base:            cuneate. Margin: usually entire, occasionally few            serrations. Foliage gives off a somewhat spicy odor when            crushed.        -   Texture.—upper surface is glabrous and matte, lower surface            is tomentulose.        -   Venation pattern.—pinnate. Venation color (upper surface):            145A. Venation color (lower surface): 145C.        -   Foliage color (upper surface).—N137B. Foliage color (lower            surface): 191A.        -   Petiole length.—about 4.6 cm. Petiole diameter: about 2 mm.            Petiole color: upper surface is 177A and lower surface is            144B. Pubescence: tomentulose.-   Flower description: Flowers on new growth. Flowers are produced from    about June through September in Watkinsville, Ga. An inflorescence    is showy for about two weeks, and individual flowers last about two    days and are self-cleaning. Fragrance: none observed.    -   -   Inflorescence type.—terminal panicles. Inflorescence length:            about 10.3 cm. Inflorescence width: about 3.6 cm. An            inflorescence contains approximately 88 individual flowers.        -   Peduncle.—about 9.3 cm in length, about 2 mm in diameter,            color is 177A, with tomentulose pubescence.        -   Individual flowers.—about 1 cm in height and 1 cm in            diameter.        -   Flower buds.—Length: about 6 mm; Diameter: about 2 mm;            Color: 91 C.        -   Pedicels.—about 3 mm in length, less than 1 mm in diameter,            145C in color with tomentulose pubescence.        -   Calyx.—consists of 5 fused sepals with acute apices and 145B            in color. The calyx is about 4 mm in length, about 2 mm in            diameter, 145B in color with tomentulose pubescence.-   Petals:    -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—5 petals fused at the base to form            the corolla tube, which is about 6 mm in length, 3 mm in            width and 85B in color. The lower petal is cupped and larger            than the other 4 petals which are reflexed.        -   Lower petal.—Length: about 5.5 mm. Width: about 4 mm. Shape:            elongated. Apex: broad obtuse to rounded. Texture: glabrous.        -   Upper and lateral petals.—Length: about 3 mm. Width: about            2.5 mm. Shape: oblong. Apex: broad obtuse to rounded.            Texture: glabrous.        -   Petal color (all petals).—upper surface is N88A in color and            lower surface is 85B in color.-   Stamens:    -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—4 stamens per flower attached to the            inner base of the corolla tube, about 5 mm long, filament            color is 85CD, and anther color is 79A. The stamens are not            pubescent. Pollen: produced in moderate quantities and is            158D in color.-   Pistils:    -   -   Quantity.—One inferior pistil per flower. Pubescence: none.            Pistil: about 1 cm in length and about 1.5 mm in width.            Stigma shape: forked, about 1 mm in width. Stigma color:            84D. Style color: 77D and about 8 mm in length. Ovary color:            143C and about 1.5 mm in diameter.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type/appearance.—drupe, rounded to oblong in shape. Length:            about 4 mm. Diameter: about 3 mm. Immature color: 145B at            the base and 178B at the apex. Mature color: N200B. Each            drupe contains one seed that is about 3.5 mm long, 2.5 mm            wide, and N199A in color.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the claimed Vitex variety grown    in field and container trials have exhibited resistance to leaf    spot. ‘PIIVAC-I’ is cold hardy in USDA Cold Hardiness Zones 6-9.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Vitex plant named ‘PIIVAC-I’, asillustrated and described herein.